Everyday citizens, law students, tourists -- even a gubernatorial candidate -- managed to jostle their way through the media horde in a federal courthouse in San Francisco on Monday to get a glimpse of history.

They came as early as 9 a.m. for a seat in the courtroom where, at 1 p.m., appellate judges heard arguments on whether the state should delay the Oct. 7 gubernatorial recall election until all counties do away with punch-card ballots.

And they came from as far away as New Jersey -- although the old stone courthouse at the seen-better-days corner of Seventh and Mission streets may not have been their original destination.

"It was an easy choice. I could witness a historical argument, or I could go shopping for sweaters," said Nick Sodano, 45, of Mount Holly, N.J., who was vacationing with his wife to celebrate their anniversary and visit friends.

Dressed in a tourist uniform of purple tie-dyed T-shirt and khaki shorts, Sodano said the court was not originally a stop on his itinerary. But when he heard about the hour of oral arguments set for Monday, he had to be there.

"The Ninth Circuit has made decisions that I've found very interesting. It's worth waiting in this heat," said Sodano, who stood for about an hour before he got a seat.

Anniversary vacation or no, his wife wasn't with him. "This is not her idea of a good time, so I left her in the hotel room," Sodano said.

The public filled up the majority of the 120 seats in the courtroom. Many were law students, hoping to see one of their role models at work.

"It's like going to a big concert for us," said Jill Meyers, 25, a second- year law student at UC Berkeley. "These are some of the best attorneys in the profession.'

Nicole Howell, 25, a student at UC's Hastings College of the Law, was first in line. As soon as she found out the arguments would be heard Monday, she e- mailed the professor of her 10:40 a.m. contracts class to let him know she would be absent. Then she packed her bag for a couple of hours in the blazing sun -- armed with bottled water, sunglasses and plenty of reading for class.

"I've been wanting to watch the Ninth Circuit. It's a very influential and controversial court," Howell said. "I'm sure my professor will be expecting a book report. He's that kind of professor."

But not every spectator who came to the courthouse was interested in hearing attorneys and judges. Some waited in hopes of seeing a famous face.

"I was coming into the office, and I saw all of these trucks and cameras. I thought there was some appeal on O.J. (Simpson)," said Josh Morgon, 39, co- owner of Free Wheelin' Attorney Service, which helps law firms with their case files.

He and his partner, Sean Raymond, 33, temporarily closed the business in hopes of seeing one of the gubernatorial candidates. But they didn't stick around for long.

"That would cut into our lunch hour," Morgon said. "We've just been walking around star-gazing."

The two did get to meet a candidate for governor, but it wasn't one they were expecting. Instead of Arnold Schwarzenegger or Cruz Bustamante, they got Gene Forte, who was using the media blitz and public interest to advertise his own campaign message.

"My message is what the whole recall is about. It's people saying that we have to take the government back," said Forte, as one of his supporters carried a sign behind him reading, "Statewide rally against the judicial industry."

"If all these television cameras were covering me, I'd win by a landslide," Forte said, sweating in his three-piece suit.

Court officials said they hadn't seen such public interest in a case since October 2000, when the Ninth Circuit heard arguments over the now-defunct online music sharing service Napster Inc.

Three courtrooms were reserved for the media and other spectators Monday, but almost everyone who arrived before the proceedings began got a seat in the main courtroom.

Though they didn't understand all the legal banter, some spectators said they had come out of the courtroom more enlightened about the complexities of the recall election.

"I have a lot of respect for these judges," said Sodano. "There is so much more to consider in this case than I knew. It's complicated. I feel like I'd need a week. Heck, I'd have to go to law school to understand it all."